Well, we decided to go nuts with embossing powder. We used it in the clay, one the clay, and made some beautiful stuff. Be sure to come back next week to see polymer clay TV and the embossing powder demo. We also received play-packs filled with new Cernit clay from Jacquard. The new colors are beautiful (there are 35) some of them even have inclusions built right in. This is the new series, which unfortunately is indistinguishable from the old series in the stores because the manufacturer didn't change the packaging. But it's pthalate-free, which has become a concern in the clay industry. The consistency is great, and we'll have more to say about it in the future. It's a new clay for both of us. If you want to try some, check out www.clayfactory.net, or go to your nearest Pearl Art Supply store.

This week we're talking about a product we discovered at CHA, called Glimmer Mist, and offered by www.mytatteredangels.com. It's an acid-free, archival, water-based mist that includes color and micro-glitter. Next week we'll show you how we used it on our polymer clay designs. I made a flower, and Ilysa created some gorgeous silk-screens that started off with a sheet of clay spritzed with this stuff! Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter or give www.polymerclay.ning.com a try, we'll be choosing winners for our two Polymer Clay Holiday Gift Guides from among our community soon! And stay tuned- Cernit has agreed to send us some of the new formulation to try our and review on the show! I saw it at Pearl Art Supply last week and nearly flipped my lid. Our friend Marie's artwork is on the point-of-sale display and it looks great!

Check out the fun and amazing polymer clay art being offered this year for your Holiday Gift buying season! Don't forget, we have two prize packs, including some of the artwork shown, to give away to a ning network member, and a newsletter subscriber. Stay tuned to your email to see if you're a winner!

Listen to what Patricia has to say about how she got started as a doll artist.

Be sure to visit our site, www.polymerclayproductions.com, to see Adam's work in this week's post!

This week, we'll talk about two more men we met in Baltimore this past February- one at Synergy, and the other at the ACC show. Two very different styles which you'll see next week on polymer clay tv. We also talk about Kalmbach's new book, Bead Journey: Jewelry from around the world. We loved this book, and there are lots of ethnic-style ideas that could be easily translated into polymer clay beads, especially for the large gemstone and wood beads featured. Please take a moment to vote for us, and don't forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter to become eligible to win all our monthly giveaways! (and put our email addy, polymerclaypodcast@yahoo.com, in your friends list so we don't end up in spam!)

Get out your spooky and macabre images folks, because today you're learning how to transfer them onto polymer clay to make one-of-a-kind, funky Halloween jewelry. Not just for the holiday, these designs will inspire the skull-lovin' crowd any day of the year. Now gather up your tools- you need Whipped Cream Studio by Sculpey for a super-fine transfer, or regular white of any other brand of polymer clay- and some magic transfer paper, and an image. Try Ken's images from www.craftedonline.com, that's what we used! Enjoy!

We decided to do something a little different this year for Halloween. There are many tutorials online about how to make things like pumpkin canes and ghost beads..so we thought some skull imagery would be fun. We used Magic Transfer paper and Ken's mortality images from Craftedonline.com, and created some fun earrings and necklaces! Check out our different styles next week on polymer clay TV, the free demo, and also at www.polymerclayclassroom.com, where you can download complete projects from start to finish. We also have some news about the Jaquard new G-clay series, which has been stopped in favor of just adding the planned g-clay to the Cernit line (we think.) Stay tuned, we will be getting an update from Jaquard representatives soon. And, don't forget to link to us and let us know- you'll be entered to win prizes from our Holiday Gift Guide. And, please come to www.polymerclayproductions.com to vote for us in the Start-up Nation competition- you can actually vote once a day, through October. Your votes help us to rank in the contest, thank you so much for helping out!

Watch as we interview three influential men who work in polymer clay- Grant Diffendaffer, Jeffrey Lloyd Dever, and Mike Devine. Enjoy! PS- don't forget to stop by our site to vote for us in the Start-up Nation competition! Ends Sept 30. Thanks!

There are several men involved in polyclay these days, and we happen to have interviews with them from Synergy in Feb '08. Jeffrey Lloyd Dever, Mike Devine, and Grant Diffendaffer are three that you'll meet next week (possibly a fourth if the footage fits! or, we'll show his work another time...)

There are other men involved with the clay, for example you can see an interview with Tommy H. in our video archives, and hear Seth Lee Saverick in a discussion about Synergy late last year. Just search them on our site to find the info.

Don't forget- please vote for our biz, and check out the Books and Stuff page for a link to Grant's book- check out how he treats clay almost as if it were metal or wood and carves it with mechanical tools.

See you next week at PCTV!

 

Ilysa visited with the Creative Options folks, who gave us some lovely bags to try out! We will demo how we use them in a future show, but here check out what the makers have to say, at the Summer CHA show.

We got some great bags from Creative Options recently, and we are giving one away to a lucky newsletter subscriber- so hurry up and sign up if you're not on our mailing list. Subscribers are always included in our contests. Also, check out www.polymerclayworkshops.com. There's been a lot of activity over there and lots of new polymer clay classes and events are posted for your reviewing pleasure. Next week be sure to come back and see Creative Options' booth at CHA where they are demonstrating some of their beautiful crafting totes and storage items.

Lisa does the greatest demos at CHA. Always on the lookout for new and pretty things to do with clay, here she is showing us how to embed angelina fibers under a transfered image.

Ilysa got to visit with Lisa again at CHA, I'm sorry I missed this one. I have a packet of Angelina fibers just waiting to be played with. Next week we'll all see what Lisa does with it. Don't forget, Ilysa is putting together a Polymer Clay holiday gift guide, that will be uploaded as a vodcast to itunes and a bunch of other places, so if you would like to be featured be sure to read all about it on our site and get pics and/or items to Ilysa. Visit www.magictransferpaper.com to bypass our site and get magic transfer paper if you want some- and enjoy this week's conversation!

This week, I will show you just how easy it is to create a leaf cane. It's all in the cut and flip! And, as a bonus, I am caning with Studio by Sculpey clay. Some people say don't bother caning with it, I say- you just need to work with it a bit and learn its properties. You can't have-at-it as if it were Fimo or Premo, because it's not. It goes thru a pasta machine like silk- even to a number 9, without rippling like the more sticky clays. Enjoy, and don't forget to check out Polymer Clay Classroom.com, where I will be doing a project using this cane and show you a Palm leaf too.

Next week we will be demoing the leaf cane, as I do it.(Kira) It is an exciting cane because there can be so many variations! And I will be doing a full length project for Polymer clay classroom, as well. Our site has a virus linked to it, not our fault and it's been a heck of a thing trying to get rid of it. But we're working on it. You are safe if you're on a MAC or if you have anti-virus software, which most people do. You have to click the link to get the virus, so just don't click anything fishy-looking. Enjoy the podcast- I created this one using Garageband and my system audio, so Ilysa sounds a tiny bit far away, but heck, my voice is always softer than hers so this week I get to be the star :)

Watch as Ilysa, the master of covering anything that can't walk away with clay, as she shows the virtues of covering glass, with salt and pepper shakers as her willing victims! Check out the full project at www.polymerclayclassroom.com.

Come listen to Ilysa's report about the summer 2008 Crafts and Hobbies Association show in Chicago, we talk about covering glass with clay, discussion about the upcoming BOH awards, and other fun stuff.

A slightly different video format, Kira has gone it alone this week but we think it works! Let us know, we would love some feedback. Amazing mold putty molds almost anything in about 15 minutes. Check out the video to see us mold a brass filigree! And check out polymer clay classroom for a full length video project using brass and molds to create gorgeous pendants.

This week, Kira is in NY at her sister's wedding... and Ilysa is preparing for a trip to CHA next weekend. We talked about a fantastic new product we found for making molds and textures. It's silicone based, and you just have to push it onto whatever you are molding. No release is required, and the mold putty sticks to itself- so if you don't make the mold perfect the first time, you can add a little and make it perfect. You can also bake your clay right in the mold! That makes it easy to use your liquid clay in the mold and also helps when you have a delicate mold, so you bake your piece in the mold and then pop it out- no distortion. Be sure to come back next Friday, to see a demo of how Amazing Mold Putty works with your polymer clay.

Today we have a new episode of Polymer Clay TV for you to enjoy. This week we show you how to silkscreen on polymer clay. This is an easy and fun technique that anyone can master. All you need is some clay and acrylic paint. You will have to do some testing to see what brand of paint works best on the brand of polymer clay you are using. I had good luck with the Folk Art & apple Barrel brands on Premo brand clay. Enjoy!

If you would like to try our Magic Transfer Paper which we demonstrated on last weeks video just send an e-mail to polymerclaypodcast@yahoo.com with your mailing address and we will get it in the mail.http://polymerclayproductions.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=15&zenid=a7550bd390b0e8361254632e8ffeb424

Please stop by our main site, www.polymerclayproductions.com, to take our demographics survey. We would really like to know who our listeners are, and so would our podcast sponsors. Ilysa is going to CHA next month, and is planning on talking to the companies that would be interested in our show, and they will want to know the info we are asking. It will really help us and will take less than a minute of your time. Thanks!

This week, Ilysa talks about how wonderful it is to use tiny silkscreens to transfer patterns onto your clay. We also discuss the internet topics, What is a podcast, and What is an RSS feed? It appears that some of our audience aren't totally familiar with the terms. A Podcast is basically a privately run radio show (videocast being the privately run TV show) and an RSS feed is a way to search blogs and sites for a specific topic, and have updates delivered to you via a "feed" that comes through a feed site, or your email. It's a quick and easy way to get updated information from your favorite sites on your favorite topics, without having to visit 50 websites every day to check for updates manually.

 

Check out this week's demo on how EASY and magical it is to use our Magic Transfer Paper. It's a new product that we scoped out for you (and for us!) to make everyone's life easier.

You can buy it in our shop, www.polymerclayproductions.com/cart.

 

This week we're talking about how easy it is to make transfers with our dissolving paper! Be sure to check out next weeks polymer clay TV to see just how easy!

We also discuss some little tidbits of our knowledge gained from various business experiences in polymer clay over the years. Enjoy.

 

Enjoy this week's video, we show how to cover metal tins with Studio clay.

In this episode, we talk about Linda Peterson's new book, Creating Polymer Clay Beads. We discuss covering metal tins with clay, and be sure to come back on Sunday June 1 for our Anniversary Party, Live!

This week, enjoy our follow up to last week's podcast. Faux wood is fun and can be easy to make, be as precise as you want with the grain and design!

Enjoy the interview! And come back next time for a demo on how to make faux wood for Father's Day.

Enjoy our video discussion on how we like the newest polymer clay by Polyform, Studio by Sculpey!

 

Enjoy!

We’ll show you our two different takes on how to embed tiny but strong rare earth magnets into your clay. I pushed mine into the clay and baked them right in, while Ilysa made impressions in the clay to fit the magnets and glued them in after baking. Either way, adding magnets to your clay is a fun new way to create an easy but strong clasp. Ours are a bit chunky because it was our first time trying out the technique, but I could see how with some practice you could make some really interesting magnetic items with your clay. We’ve added in some other tidbits of footage from our travels this spring. Enjoy! And don’t forget to visit Polymer Clay Classroom for two full projects using magnetic clasps to make necklaces. One more thing- be sure to come back on Sunday to view and upload pictures of this week’s bottles of hope in our Sunday guestbook. This week's theme is Pink! Thanks for posting last week, there were some awesome animal-themed bottles!

In this episode of Polymer Clay Podcast we show how to make polymer clay magnetic clasps. Magnetic clasps make putting on jewelry a breeze. These type of clasps are perfect for older folks and for people who are  disabled as you don't have to fumble with a clasp. We also share a book review and share some other news.

Make sure to check back next week for a new episode of Polymer Clay TV & Polymer Clay Classroom. Don't forget to check out our latest endeavor http://www.craftedonline.com

How to glue precured clay pieces onto unbakeable items- we made badge holders for work.

This week, we review Make it Mine magazine, Creative Caning by D-originals.com, and talk about covering un-bakeables with clay decorations.

Come back next week for Polymer Clay TV, for a demo of what we did with our ID badge holders.

In this episode you will get to join in the fun at the Orlando Clay Fandango's Fantastic Flamingo Fashion Show.
http://www.oapcguild.com

Ilysa and Kira are back from the Orlando Clay Fandango retreat 2008- listen to what they have to say about the experience.

 

Today we have an early new episode of Polymer Clay TV as we will be heading out of town to attend the Orlando Clay Fandango tomorrow.
They have this really cool thing called a day tripper pass, so if you are in the area and just want to come spend the day at the event and get the retreat experience, come on down, we would love to meet you! We will have a ton of footage to share when we return.

You can check out more of Christi Friesen’s work at her website and she will be teaching at the Fandango so I am sure we will have some more footage of her but enjoy the interview!

We did an interview with Ann & Karen Mitchell while we were at CHA and we share that in this episode as well as our regular scheduled programming mokume gane demo. Enjoy!

It's our post-conference discussion! Hear about how things went at Synergy, and who we talked with and interviewed. Be sure to come back next week for great video.

Linda Peterson, Maureen Carlson, and Kathleen Dustin share something about themselves and their work. Enjoy.

Join us as we share with you the experiences we had while at this winter's CHA show, the artists we met, the demos we saw, and the products we encountered.

To see more about Bottles of Hope, visit www.bottlesofhope.org

Our friend Lisa Pavelka once again served as the Master of Ceremonies for this winter's competition, entitled "Hope on a Rope." Contestants created themed necklaces each featuring a bottle. Necklaces will be auctioned off and the proceeds given to cancer research charities. One of our PCAGOE members entered a cute necklace with a delightful sculptured monkey, and the Best of Show award went to an incredible rendering of the familiar monsters from "Where the Wild Things Are."

Watch and see... and we'll be creating a slide show of closeups of the entries for you to enjoy.

We share our thoughts with you this week about the CHA show we will be visiting this Saturday-Wednesday.

Enjoy!

This week, watch our video demo where we talk about how to do ATCs and ACEOs, what the difference is, (ATCs are trading cards, ACEOs can be sold) and see a couple of examples. We also show Hearty and Lumina air dry clays, which we rolled flat and put through punches and colored on with Copic markers…fun stuff!

Listen to Nita tell us about the upcoming clay retreat in Orlando, Florida. Also, learn the difference between an ACEO, and an ATC.

 

Here is a video demo using Jones Tones foils with polymer clay. Create cool metal and faux dichro glass effects.

Yup, the moment you've been waiting for. How do you get the foil to stick to the clay? Watch our video demo and find out.

This week, we will show you how to take boring and ugly scraps of clay and turn them into beautiful objects by covering them with slices of canes. In Polymer Clay Classroom, available on the 7th, we show you how to make the cane pictured and create a fan pull.

Enjoy!

This week, we had some news- Amaco and Staedler are joining forces to bring you the Spring Bottle of Hope awards at CHA in California, and we will again be covering the show.

We will also be going to Synergy soon, and then the Clay Fandango retreat in Orlando.

Studio Clay by Sculpey is going to be $2.99 a bar for 2.8 ounces. A pretty good deal (unless you're used to getting your clay at Michael's on sale, unfortunately Michael's isn't carrying it- yet.)

We discuss the Jan/Feb Belle Armoire Magazine, graciously given to us by Stampington and Co, and there will be links to two polymer clay artist's blogs for you to learn more about color- come check out polymerclayproductions.com to find out more about that.

Finally, our topic for today is covering lumps of scrap clay with slices of cane. A very useful technique. In Polymer Clay Classroom, we show you how to make a bullseye skinner blend cane and then cover clay and shape it to make a pretty fan pull. A great way to decorate!

 

This week, Ilysa went-it alone for our video. I am studying for the Florida teacher's exams, and felt a little stressed about meeting for a weekend to film our next episodes before the test which is in early January. We hope you enjoy the show, and later next month we'll be filming the next series.

Ornaments are fun- you can cover glass, or just use clay. Use all the techniques you have learned so far- texture them with texture plates or stamps, run pigment powders and inks on them for sparkle and color, embed things into them- I wonder how much cinnamon you would have to put into the clay to make it smell like cinnamon even after curing? If someone wants to do an experiment and share the results with us, drop an email to polymerclaypodcast@yahoo.com- Ilysa and I will randomly pick a winner and I'll send you a New Year's gift.

 

 

 

This week, we talk about making ornaments for the holidays or just to hang on your walls, we review Donna Kato's book "My Favorite Things in Polymer Clay," and we have a discussion regarding the new Studio by Sculpey clay- because Kira talked to her Regional Trainer, Jane Zhou, about it.

Enjoy! Come back next week for the video demo on ornament making.

Enjoy this week's footage from the show we went to. Next year, if you're in Orlando, make sure you email us first so we can get together!